- moved - to come to you! And rising up, I was beside you, to comfort you in your fever!
'You ... came to me?' Nathan wasn't able to hold back from blurting it out loud. 'But you're a dead man!'
'Hah! He speaks nonsense!' The spokesman sneered, and went on to add some choice invectives in the Thyre tongue. But the Elder had read something in Nathan's strange eyes, causing him to caution his chief accuser:
'No, make yourself understood to him also. For if we desire to bring charges, he must have the benefit of the doubt.'
Rogei came to Nathan's rescue, telling him what to say and how he must say it. And looking at the Thyre spokesman he repeated Rogei word for word, faithfully, only leaving out his acid sarcasm. 'Ah, but your grandfather recognizes you at last, Pe-tey-is!' he said, gazing directly into the spokesman's eyes and nodding slowly. 'Petals, son of Ekhou and grandson of Rogei the Ancient, born in that same hour that your grandfather took to his sickbed. But before he died he saw you in your mother's arms and was proud of you, just as he is proud now to see that you're an elder! Rogei knows you not only from your premature loss of hair, familiar features and bearing in general - which is to say, moulded in an almost exact likeness of your father, his son - but also from your abrupt mannerisms and the heat of your argument. As Ekhou was ever the fiery one, so are you!'
"Vampire World 1 - Blood Brothers"
Petais's mouth had fallen open. He couldn't speak and so gurgled a little, his eyes bulging. Under Rogei's expert guidance, Nathan gave him no time to recover but carried on. 'Now tell your grandsire, do you accept that these are his words? I hope so, for if not we must summon Ekhou your father and Amlya your mother, who will know me better. I know that they are not dead, for if they were I would have spoken to them in the Cavern of the Ancients!'
Petais shook his head wildly, stood up, sat down again. He was still lost for words. But the Elder of elders was not. 'Who is it speaks, you or Rogei?'
'A little of both,' Nathan answered. 'I repeat his words, faithfully if I can.'
The Elder nodded, reached out a trembling hand to touch Nathan's arm. 'I perceive that it is true,' he said, his eyes rapt on him and unblinking. 'Plainly a great wonder has come among us!'
Petais groaned and said, 'Still we must be sure!'
'I am sure,' the Elder answered him. 'You do not remember, Petals - of course not, for you were a child newborn - but I too was there when your mother took you before the dying Rogei, and indeed he was proud of you. I know, for I was Rogei's nephew, the son of his brother!'
Nodding, Petais seemed to sag a little. 'What must be must be. But it had to be decided, one way or the other.'
I was right, Nathan, Rogei sighed. The Elder is my nephew, Oltae!
Even as he spoke his ethereal words, the one he had named turned from Petais to Nathan. 'I know you will understand that Petais is correct,' the Elder said. 'We had to be sure. Even now, we must be sure.'
Test me however you will, Oltae,' Nathan told him.
The Elder gasped, gave a small start, and his hand tightened on Nathan's arm. 'That is my name, aye,' he nodded. 'And I know you did not steal it from my mind, for I have built a wall there which is impenetrable! Wherefore, one final test, and I shall be satisfied.'
Rogei prompted Nathan to say: 'Now I speak as Rogei. Let me guess this test, nephew. Has it to do with your examination for a place among The Five? You were a young man then, as Petais is now, but I remember your examination well for I was your examiner! I had many questions for you, but your answer to one of them won exceptional marks! Do you remember it, Oltae?'
'I do indeed,' the Elder whispered.
'And I asked,' Rogei spoke through Nathan, '"When will we know if The One Who Listens exists?" And you answered -'
'- My answer was this,' Oltae the Elder cut him short. ' "We shall know that He exists when finally He speaks, which will not be until we are better capable of knowing and understanding Him.'" And as he gazed deep